Over the Edge *formerly Untitled*
by Broadway1
Summary: *Finished* What's wrong with Mush? He has been very depressed lately, but no one seems to notice or know why.
1. You'se gettin' skinny!

      Disclaimer- I don't own newsies or anything about them, Disney does.  All I own is the story idea… and maybe later some made up newsies.

                              Chapter 1

'What a shame…' Spot Conlon thought to himself.  'A newsie lost like this… who woulda seen it comin'?'  Spot looked over at the Manhattan newsies at the funeral.  They were crying.  All of them… even Jack, who had always been the strongest of them all.

1 Month Earlier

      "Heya Mush, any good 'eadlines taday?" Kid Blink asked his best friend Mush Meyers.

      "Not a one of 'em." Mush said frowning at his paper.

      "Shit… I'se gonna be out on da street soon.  I'se barely makin' it as it was, and now, dey can't even come up wit decent 'eadlines." Blink fumed.

      "I know what ya mean.  All dis is dapressin'." Mush commented.

      "Heya fella!" Jack Kelly called walking up to them. "What's da matteh?  You'se two ain't smilin'!"

      "No good 'eadlines." Blink told him.

      "Even wit no good 'eadlines atleast Mush'll smile." Jack said giving Mush an odd look.

      'I wish I could smile, but it's not that easy.  I wish Jack would just drop it.' Mush thought to himself.  He put on the biggest smile he could, even though it was fake in hopes that Jack would shut up.

      "Dat's betteh.  You'se two wanna meet a whole bunch of us at Tibbys for lunch?" Jack asked.

      "Sure!" Blink said cheering up.  

      Mush laughted to himself.  'Food could always cheer up Kid Blink.'

      "Come on Mush!  We'se gotsta get sellin' before everyone realizes da papes are crappy taday!" Blink said pullng on Mush's arm.  Mush followed along blindly for another day of selling papers.

      "What is wit you taday?" Kid Blink asked Mush as they finished selling their papers and headed to Tibbys.

      "Whatdya mean?" Mush asked defensively.

      "Like Jack said, you ain't been smilin'!  You ain't been cheerful at all!" 

      "Shuddup!  I'se just in a bad mood!  Can't I be in a bad mood eveh?" Mush yelled.

      "Geez… sorry…" Blink said as the entered Tibbys.  They sat down at a table with Jack, Racetrack Higgens, and Dave and Les Jacobs.

      "Heya guys, how's da sellin'?" Racetrack asked them as they sat down.

      "Worse den eveh." Mush mumbled.  He felt Kid Blink's eye on him.  They had actually sold more then usual.

      "Actually we sold quite a few taday." Blink told the guys, hoping they would ignore Mush's comment.  "It was great.  We're gonna eat like kings!  What'd ya all get anyways?"

      "Chicken and coffee." Jack responded.  Before anyone else could answer the door opened and in walked Spot Conlon.  "Hey Spot!  Whatcha doin' way oveh here?"

      "Just checkin' up on all me favorite Manhattan newsies.  Wanted ta know if ya wanted ta come swimmin' taday." Spot told them.

      "It's too hot ta say no." Racetrack exclaimed.  All of the rest of the newsies agreed.  Spot sat down next to Mush.  Then a waiter came over and they all ordered their meals.  

      After lunch they newsies made their way to Brooklyn to go swimming.  Mush kept to himself the whole way their hoping no one would ask him why he hadn't eaten anything at lunch.  'I wish they would all let me be.  They always expect me to be so damn cheerful all the time!  I can't stand it no more.' Mush thought to himself.  

      "Mush ain't ya comin' swimmin'?" Racetrack asked him.  Mush looked around.  The rest of the guys were getting undressed around him.  He'd been so caught up in thought he hadn't even noticed they were at the docks.

      "Yeah…" Mush muttered as he started taking of his clothes.

      "Damn!  You'se getting' skinny!" Jack exclaimed in shock.  The rest of the boys turned and looked at Mush.  

      "Yeah why didn't you eat anyting at lunch?  Cuz da way it looks you'se need all da food you'se can get." Spot commented.  

      'Leave it to Spot to notice who is and isn't eating… or doing anything for that matter.' Mush thought to himself.  "Guess I wasn't hungry." Mush said putting on a fake smile.  "So Jack are you goin' out wit Sarah tanight?" Mush asked getting the pressure off of him.  Everyone knew that Jack and Sarah were on the rocks and that she was going to break up with him.  

      "I don't really want ta but I tink I hafta…" Jack frowned. "Is she gonna break up wit me Dave?" Jack asked.  

      "How many times have I told you?  Sarah doesn't tell me these kinds of things." Dave said annoyed with the question.  Mush suddenly felt Blink's eye on him.  So before Blink could say anything Mush jumped into the water, the rest of the boys followed.


	2. The Brooklyn Bridge

                    Chapter 2

"So what's up wit Mush?" Jack asked Kid Blink as the Manhattan newsies walked back towards Manhattan.

"I'm not really shore.  But 'e's been actin' weird all week!" Blink exclaimed.  "I mean, 'e 'asn't eaten in like two days!  'e neveh smiles, and 'e neveh talks ta anyone even me!"

"Yeah, I noticed dat too!" Racetrack said joining the conversation.  

"Plus every night when 'e gets back ta da lodgin' house all 'e does is sleep.  He don't wanna play cards, go out wit da goils or even go ta Med…" Blink started.

"Hiya Mush!" Jack said cutting Blink off.  Mush glared at the three of them.

'What right do they have to talk about me!?  Especially when I'm two steps behind them and can hear every word they're saying?' Mush thought to himself.  "Hey Blink, I tink I'se gonna sell by meself tanight." Mush told him.  Kid Blink's eyes widened.  He'd never ever sold with out Mush before.

"O…O…Ok…" Kid Blink stuttered.  All of the guys looked as shocked as Kid Blink did.

"You'se can sell wit me if ya want." Boots told Blink.

"Ok tanks." Blink said quietly.  

So that night Kid Blink sold with Boots and Mush sold by himself.  

It went on that way for the next month.  Mush hardly ever talked to any of the other newsies, even Kid Blink.  He never ate, or atleast not when anyone else was eating.  All of the newsies were worried about Mush, but they all figured he'd come out of it.  He started to isolate himself completely, until one day Kid Blink tried to talk to him.

"Hi Mush… how ya been?" Blink asked.

"Whadya want?" Mush asked angrily.

"I wanted ta know if ya wanted ta sell wit me taday…" Blink asked.

"No tanks, I'se gonna sell by meself." Mush said and started to walk away.

"How 'bout lunch?  Do ya wanna go ta lunch wit me?" Blink questioned.

"No, now if you'll excuse me I'se got papes ta sell." Mush said pushing past Kid Blink.  Blink followed behind him.

"So where are ya sellin' taday?" Blink asked.

"Brooklyn Bridge." Mush muttered, walking faster and faster in hopes of losing Kid Blink.

"What a coincidence!  I'se sellin oveh dere too!"  Blink lied.  Mush didn't say anything, but kept walking.  Kid Blink followed behind him and as he said sold a few feet away from Mush on the Brooklyn Bridge.  

Blink followed Mush again to the Brooklyn Bridge for the evening edition too.  Blink finished selling his before Mush and stood there and waited for him to get done.  By that time it was dark.

"Why are you following me?" Mush yelled.

"Cuz I'se concerned about ya!" Blink yelled back.

"No!  It's cuz you'se tryin' ta be me!  You always has wanted ta be me!  Face it!" Mush exclaimed.  This caught Blink off guard and he stared at Mush like he had gone nuts.

"What?  I don't want to be you!  Why would I want to be ya?" Blink asked.

"I'se dunno!  But ya do!  If I do something, ya always had ta do it too!  When I learned ta do a backflip you'se had ta learn too and den ya had ta do it betteh den me!  Everyting!  My whole life ya wanted ta be me!  Even when we were kids!  You decided dat ya wanted ta leave home and become a newsie because I was leavin'!  Get you'se own life!" Mush screamed.  Blink, offended by what Mush had said, pushed him.  So Mush punched him.  They went on and on for about an hour.  Finally Mush had Kid Blink pinned at the edge of the bridge.  Mush came towards Blink.  He then pushed Blink back over the edge of the bridge.  A look of terror filled Kid Blinks eyes as he fell, screaming until he hit below.  Mush's face suddenly softened as he realized what he'd done.

"Oh my God!" a lady cried from down at the other end of the bridge.  "You killed him!" She shouted pointing to Mush.

"No… no it was an accident." Mush said softly.  He then turned and ran away and was never seen again.

The Next Day

"How could Mush do that?" Racetrack sniffled as the funeral ended.

"Well we all know 'e was a little out of it lately…" Jack pointed out.

"Something musta just made 'im snap… ya know pushed 'im oveh da edge…" Spot said softly.

                                   The End


End file.
